MONT BLANC RANGE
With Chamonix at its base, the Mont Blanc range is understandably the busiest of all the mountain regions of France. Scenically dramatic, all the ingredients of an Alpine landscape are gathered here in abundance – towering aiguilles, huge snow domes, rock slabs, screes, glaciers, waterfalls, flower-starred pastures, forests and lush green valleys. Shared between France, Italy and Switzerland the Mont Blanc massif is surrounded by seven valleys, the linking of each providing the route of the classic Tour du Mont Blanc. But numerous possibilities exist for day walks, and just a small selection of hut routes are offered here.
Guidebooks:Mont Blanc Walks and Chamonix Mountain Adventures by Hilary Sharp and Tour of Mont Blanc by Kev Reynolds (published by Cicerone Press).
Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (Walk 18)
WALK 1
Refuge de Valmasque (2221m: 7287ft)
| Start | Nat. Park entrance (1732m: 5683ft) |
| Valley base | Casterino or St-Dalmas |
| Distance | 11km (7 miles) round trip |
| Total ascent | 489m (1604ft) |
| Time | 2hrs up, 1½hrs down |
| Map | Didier Richard 9 ‘Mercantour’ 1:50,000 |
The Vallée de la Roya, flowing south from Col de Tende, marks the eastern limit of the Maritime Alps. To the west the Mercantour National Park runs against the Franco-Italian border, and within it lies some firstrate walking country. Several huts grouped within a comparatively small area are linked by accessible cols. The first of these is Refuge de Valmasque. Overlooking a small dammed lake at the head of the Valmasque valley, it is reached by a short but interesting walk from a narrow road which projects deep into the mountains from St-Dalmas-de-Tende. Walkers without their own transport can take a twice-daily bus from St-Dalmas railway station as far as Casterino (13km), and begin the walk there – in which case add 5km and a further 1½hrs to the overall route.
About 3km upvalley from the hamlet of Casterino, the narrow jeep road forks at the entrance to the Mercantour National Park; vehicles should be parked here. At this point wander along a stony track, signposted to Refuge de Valmasque, soon looking steeply down to the Valmasque stream. Green mountains on the north side of the valley rise to the Italian frontier, while the track rises gently among larch, rowan and alder and curves south-west towards wilder country marked by jagged, rocky peaks. After about 40mins an alternative path slants off right ahead to explore Lac de l’Agnel. We remain on the track for a further 15mins to reach a barrier (2027m).
Supply mule on its way to Refuge de Valmasque
Now take a narrow path rising on the left. At first steeply, the angle soon eases across a small pasture with a fine stream flowing through. The path accompanies this stream upvalley, then rises to a higher level and crosses the stream below a cascade. At a junction of paths take the upper option and eventually gain a high, rocky terrace where you traverse to the right (north). The trail forks; the left branch leads to the Baisse de Valmasque via Lac Noir and Lac du Basto, the right-hand option is marked to the refuge. This latter trail contours over a hillside of bald slabs, passes a ruin, climbs a little to a second ruin, now with the hut in sight, and slopes down to the small barrage at the eastern end of Lac Vert. The hut is perched on a rocky knoll on the far side overlooking a wild and rocky landscape dominated by Cime Montolivo, Cime Chamineye, and Cime Lusiere. Above the latter rises the cone of Mont Clapier.
Refuge de Valmasque belongs to the CAF (Section Nice). It has 54 places and a guardian is in residence from mid-June to the end of September; meals available. (Tel CAF, Nice: 04 92 31 91 20).
Unless your plan is to make a cross-country journey to Refuge des Merveilles (see Walk 2), return by the same path as the upward route. Allow 1½hrs to the roadhead.
WALK 2
Refuge des Merveilles (2111m: 6926ft)
| Start | Lac des Mesches (1390m: 4560ft) |
| Valley base | St-Dalmas or Tende |
| Distance | 12km (7½ miles) round trip |
| Total ascent | 721m (2365ft) |
| Time | 2¾hrs up, 2hrs down |
| Map | Didier Richard 9 ‘Mercantour’ 1:50,000 |
Refuge des Merveilles is one of the busiest of all huts in the Maritime Alps, thanks to the proximity of literally thousands of prehistoric rock engravings, a number of which are thought to have been chipped into slabs along the Vallée de Merveilles about 3000 BC. A search for some of these pictographs will add considerably to a visit to the Merveilles refuge, and time should be allowed for this. However, the hut approach in itself makes for a rewarding walk, for the scenery in the lower Vallée de la Minière is lush and pastoral, while the upper valley sparkles with tarns. If you plan to spend a night at the hut, you are advised to phone ahead to check that there’s room – especially in the main season and at weekends, when space is at a premium.
Refuge des Merveilles is one of the busiest of all huts in the Maritime Alps, thanks to the proximity of literally thousands of prehistoric rock engravings, a number of which are thought to have been chipped into slabs along the West of St-Dalmasde-Tende in the Vallée de la Roya, a narrow road (summer bus service) extends for 10km to Lac des Mesches where there are five parking ‘bays’ on the west side. The walk begins by a notice board at parking bay number 1, where a path rises into larchwoods and after some long switchbacks joins a rough jeep track by a National Park information office. Just beyond, on the right-hand side of the stream, stands Refuge Neige de Merveilles (20mins).
Follow the track upstream on the south side of the Vallée de la Minière, soon overlooking an attractive lake. A little over an hour after setting out enter the Mercantour National Park and continue rising gently among larchwoods for another half-hour until you reach a small stone hut by a left-hand hairpin. A trail breaks away from the track at this point offering a shorter, but more demanding, ascent and is recommended. It climbs a short distance, then cuts to the right before resuming the climb alongside some cascades. Rising among slabs, gain height through increasingly rocky terrain until you cross a minor ‘saddle’ and come to a path junction. Bear left and soon rejoin the track, which you follow into a region of tarns leading to the hut.
Lac Long and Refuge des Merveilles
Refuge des Merveilles has places for 75 and meals provision when it is manned – usually from mid-June to the end of September,
